Love Unheard

Chapter 4

(Dipper pov)

I mentally curse to myself as I struggle with the stupid lock on this damn locker. At my old school I never bothered locking my locker since I had trouble opening that one too, but these ones lock automatically once they close. It is really stupid and I have an assumption that Ford had something to do with them doing this.

I finally manage to get the stupid thing open and grab my notebooks shoving them in my backpack before slamming the locker shut and exiting the school.

The minute I step outside I see the buses pulling away. I internally groan since now this means either call Stan and wait here for him or walk home. I don't want to be here longer than I have to but I also don't want to walk home by myself. I hate when people come up to me trying to talk to me and that awkward moment when I have to explain to them how I can't hear a thing that they are saying.

Feeling a tap on my shoulder I turn around and see Bill standing there. "You waiting for someone to pick you up or something?"

I decide to speak as I sign this time and can tell by his initial reaction that I'm being really loud again. "No. I missed my bus."

"Oh. You want me to walk you home then? It's the Mystery Shack, right?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"I heard someone say that the Pines run it so I took a wild guess."

"You don't have to walk all the way out there with me."

"I don't mind it and it's mostly on my way home anyway. Come on, lets go."

We start the walk home. I kick a rock before looking up at him as he taps me on the shoulder again.

"What one thing do you miss hearing the most?"

"Easy. Listening to music. One of my favorite things to do when reading a good mystery story or drawing was to be listening to music."

"What was your favorite all time song then?"

"A Part of Me, by Neck Deep."

"Nice pick. If I may ask, why don't you use a cochlear implant? I heard they're supposed to help with hearing issues. I mean I know they wouldn't restore all your hearing but it could be worth a try."

"I have tried it before. It didn't help. Any sound that it picked up just made the ringing worse. So I stopped using it, despite my mother saying I wasn't giving it a chance to work. She isn't the one who has to deal with the ringing, she doesn't know what I go through on a daily basis."

"Oh....I saw some earbuds in your backpack earlier. Why do you have those if you can't hear?"

"I sometimes just put them in to feel normal. Plus if people don't know I can't hear then they will leave me alone. I don't bother trying to play music through them, I just put them in and try to pretend I'm some normal kid listening to whatever music is popular nowadays."

"Do you happen to have a guitar at your place?"

"There's an older one in the closet of my room. It belonged to Stan when he was younger but he doesn't play it anymore and I can't exactly play it with my condition. Why?"

"I just want to show you something with it is all."

"You are really mysterious sometimes."

"I know." He smirks slightly as we get to the Mystery Shack. For a moment it looks like he goes pale seeing it before we head inside. Thankfully neither of my great uncles are in sight as we head up to my room.

He sits on my bed as I get the guitar out of my closet and hand it to him. "Now, this hopefully will be something you can recognize by the lip reading. If you do recognize it, then feel free to join in."

He starts playing but once I the words his lips are forming I instantly know what he's playing and can't help myself from singing it with him, knowing every lyric by heart.

"I'll paint you a picture with words "I miss her"
We still talk like everyday
But we don't talk in the same way that we used to
I'll move on and forget you
We could never see eye to eye
But either way

I like him 'cause he's smart, headstrong and independent
he puts me in my place, but I don't know where I stand
And if only I could find the words, or muster up the nerve to tell him
I'll never forget him
And he'll always have a part of me

Don't let me go down this road again
We both know where this ends
In a storm of feeling, I'm so unappealing
I can't play these games

I like him 'cause he's smart, headstrong and independent
he puts me in my place, but I don't know where I stand
And if only I could find the words, or muster up the nerve to tell him
I'll never forget him
And he'll always have a part of me

I like him 'cause he's smart, headstrong and independent
he puts me in my place, but I don't know where I stand
And if only I could find the words, or muster up the nerve to tell him
I'll never forget him
And he'll always have a part of me

he'll always have a part of me
he'll always have a part of me

I was falling for a boy who would ask me to come over
Just for a day, when his parents were away
Now all I can do is lay in my room
Fall asleep, dream of you
Then wake up and do nothing about it

I fell for a boy who could never ever let me walk home that way
'Cause you gotta be safe
So hold back your views
We're both leaving soon
I can't fall back on you
'Cause that's not what I do

I fell for a boy who could never ever let me walk home that way
he hates it when I shout these words but, I still sing for you
'Cause you gotta be safe
I'll still sing for you
I'll still sing for you
So hold back your views, we're both leaving soon
he hates it when I shout these words but, I still sing for you
I'll still sing for you
I can't fall back on you, 'cause that's not what I do and
I'll still sing for you
I fell for a boy who could never ever let me walk home that way
he hates it when I shout these words but, I still sing for you
'Cause you gotta be safe
I'll still sing for you
I'll still sing for you
So hold back your views, we're both leaving soon
She hates it when I shout these words but, I still sing for you
I'll still sing for you
I can't fall back on you
I'll still sing for you"

I clap as he does a little fake bow.

"Seems someone liked my little performance there."

"I didn't like it, I loved it. It was great."

"I am deeply glad that you like it. But, I should probably be heading home now. Do you mind if I keep this guitar?"

"You don't even need to ask, it's all yours. It will just collect dust up here anyway."

"Thank you. I will see you at school tomorrow."

He waves bye before he walks out of the room and I hear him leave the Mystery Shack altogether.